


The Nudge

by extremelyperturbed



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Romantic Comedy, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, non-cannibalism AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-20
Updated: 2013-09-20
Packaged: 2017-12-27 02:53:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/973454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/extremelyperturbed/pseuds/extremelyperturbed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A ficlet based on this kinkmeme prompt:  </p><p> </p><p>They have a friends with benefits relationship but Will wants something more serious in his life so he decides to turn Hannibal down sexually so he can concentrate on finding Mr. Right.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Nudge

"I think we should stop having sex,” said Will while he was having breakfast at Hannibal’s house.

The only reason Hannibal didn‘t spit out his breakfast was because he was used to hearing all sorts of off-the-wall things like Franklyn declaring his eternal love for him without even lifting an eyebrow. “Why would you say that?”

Will sighed. “The sex is amazing and the breakfast afterwards is scrumptious but . . .”

“What is it about our arrangement you find unsatisfactory?” The arrangement had started six months ago when Will had admitted that he hadn’t had sex for more than a year and seemed to be looking forward to another year without sex. So Hannibal had helpfully suggested that they have an arrangement where friends would help each other unencumber themselves of certain ‘burdens.’ For Hannibal, it had been going splendidly. 

“Nothing, it’s just . . .”

“Just . . .”

“I’m not getting any younger and . . . I really need to start looking for someone to settle down with, find Mr. Right. So I need to devote more time and energy to that if I‘m going to find someone.”

“Oh.”

“You did say that you didn’t want anything more serious than being friends with benefits.”

“Yes . . . I did.”

“Alana and Beverly said that they have a few people that they think could be compatible though they want to give me a bit of a makeover first.”

“Alana and Beverly . . .”

“Yes. You don’t sound like you approve.”

Hannibal sighed while thinking, Damn those two. “I don’t think you should rush into something, especially something that was devised by someone other than yourself.”

“Actually, it’s something I asked them to do for me. I don’t want you to be mad or put out.”

“I’m neither,” said Hannibal. “But I want you to know that my bedroom door is always open for you.”

Will smiled because he believed Hannibal was telling the truth.

***

Hannibal was pleased to finish his day early on Wednesday until he remembered that Will was no longer going to be meeting him for dinner at his place per their former schedule of seeing each other on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Instead, Will was taking dance lessons and going out with Alana and Beverly to upgrade his wardrobe. 

It was during the third week that Hannibal had to face the fact that this was no mere passing fancy but something Will was serious about. He had been too hasty in thinking that Will’s intense dislike for socializing would curtail his search and have him come back to the warm familiarity of their mutually beneficial set up in a relatively short time. 

Perhaps, Hannibal thought, I miscalculated slightly.

He had noticed that ever since Will left, food had lost some of its savor. He bought his groceries at the same places, cooked them in the same manner but yet noticed a kind of dulling of the flavor on his palate. Even meals he had at his usual haunts failed to enrapture him as they once did. It also seemed to be taking a toll on his other senses. Even songs by his favorite divas did not thrill him or bring him to tears with their beauty. 

He picked up the phone and called Alana. 

“Hello,” said Alana.

“Hello, Alana, this is Hannibal.”

“Are you calling about Will?”

“Did he tell you about my reservations?”

“No but I could guess that you might have some.”

“I hope you are not pushing him to do something that he is uncomfortable with.”

“Sometimes, someone just needs a little nudge to do something they know they should be doing in the first place.”

“A nudge?”

“A nudge,” Alana affirmed. “Beverly and I are already working on an online ad to post. Of course, we will be screening the people who respond so . . .”

“I don’t think he will like that.”

“He didn’t like the idea at first but we pointed out that he’d have a better chance of finding someone if he was willing to go outside his comfort zone, his usual circle. Besides, the only way to change things is to change what you do and that‘s what I told him. I really have to go, Hannibal. I‘m looking over some catalogs to get Will some formal wear. Goodbye.”

Hannibal found the whole exchange rather disquieting if the word ‘disquieting’ meant completely and utterly rage-inducing. 

***

“Hannibal, what are you doing here?” said Will as he opened his door Sunday morning.

Hannibal pouted while holding various containers of food he had prepared earlier that day. “We may not be friends with benefits but surely we are still friends. I have not seen you in a while.”

“I didn’t mean to ignore you . . . Please come in.”

“How is the hunt?” said Hannibal after the breakfast had been plated. Today’s breakfast was scrapple, pan fried slices of a loaf made of cornmeal and pork trimmings. Hannibal had a certain fondness for the dish as it was a mild and pleasant way of serving offal. He also brought a gingerbread cake with a lemon icing. 

“The hunt? Oh, not so good,” said Will as he grasped Hannibal‘s meaning.

“I’m sad to hear that,” said Hannibal, trying very hard to look sincere. 

He must have succeeded because Will did not narrow his eyes in suspicion. “My last date was with a Dr. Bruce Banner. The less I say about it, the better.”

“I will agree with you,” said Hannibal, not wanting to hear about Will‘s romantic adventures even if they turned out to be a disaster on the order of the Tunguska incident. “I will say that Alana and Beverly have done a better job when it comes to your clothes.”

Will‘s clothes were a bit more stylish and centered around a palette that made his blue eyes ‘pop.’ “I felt a bit like a Ken doll when they dragged me all over the shopping center. But people seem to like the new clothes, so I guess it’s a success.” 

“I heard you’re taking dance classes.”

“Yeah. They found a place that would be OK with me dancing with a guy.”

“What kind of dances?”

“It‘s ballroom dancing but not the competitive kind. They thought it would help me socialize and pick up a skill.”

“If you like, I could help you with that.”

“Really? I wouldn’t want to put you to too much trouble.”

“It would not be a problem at all. What dance are you working on right now?”

“Right now, we’re working on the waltz.”

“Would you like me to go to the classes with you so you have someone to dance with?”

“Actually, there’s been this guy there who’s been kind enough to volunteer to dance with me even though I‘m not very good. I‘m always mashing his toes.”

“Oh.”

“He lost his husband two years ago in a train accident. He’s been going to classes because that’s what he and his husband used to do. Dancing . . .”

“A widower?”

“Yes, he’s also a history teacher.”

“That’s very kind of you.” Hannibal had a mental image of a grey-haired gentleman, who was still physically fit for his age.

Will laughed at that. “Hardly. He’s very good and very patient.”

“Could I observe?”

“Only if you promise not to laugh.”

“Perish the thought.”

Breakfast seemed especially good that day.

***  
Hannibal came to the dance studio. It was a large room with a hard wood floor and a mirror lining one of the walls. There were several couples milling about and a few men who appeared to be without a partner. Then he saw Will in a corner. “Will.”

“You’re here.” Will looked terribly pleased with a broad smile. 

“Where else would I be? Where is this dance partner of yours?”

“He’s not here, yet. Oh, wait, Steve, come here!”

Instead of the older gentleman he envisioned, the man walking towards them looked like an All-American quarterback with blue eyes and blond hair. Hannibal whispered in Will’s ear. “That’s your dance partner?”

“Yes.”

“Hi, Will,” said Steve. “Is this your boyfriend?”

“No, just a friend who came to watch me klutz my way through class.”

“I assure you, Will is not a klutz, Mister . . .” said Steve. 

“Dr. Hannibal Lecter,” Hannibal said. 

“Steve Rogers,” he said, holding out his hand. “Just Mister.”

Hannibal shook it reluctantly. 

The teacher walked up to Hannibal and said, “Interested in taking lessons?”

“No, I just came here to support Will.”

“If you would like to watch, I have a chair in the corner.”

Hannibal sat and ended up watching Steve help Will listen to the beat of the music that had a strong first beat then two softer beats before repeating the rhythm while keeping his feet in the box step. Later in the hour, Steve helped Will learn how to do both while they both rotated without bumping into another couple. He had to admit that when everything finally clicked for Will, the dancing was quite elegant.

“It looks like you’re getting it,” said Steve.

“Thanks to you,” said Will. Will turned to Hannibal. “What do you think?”

“I think that I would like to be your dance partner,” said Hannibal. 

***  
As he and Hannibal had coffee at his house afterwards, Hannibal said, “I’m impressed. I do have to warn you that some of the other dances are a bit more demanding.”

“What do you think of Steve?”

“He’s younger than I expected. I pictured someone quite a bit older from your description.” Hannibal felt a little misled though he knew that Will hadn’t mentioned the man’s age at all. 

“I mean other than that.”

“Why are you asking?”

“I was thinking of asking him out.”

Hannibal put down his cup and said, “Will, you don’t need to ask him out.” 

“Why?”

“Because you have me.”

Will sighed. “I’ve told you what I need. I want someone who can make a commitment, someone who wants something more than a warm bed.”

“Will . . . I‘m that man.”

Instead of looking happy at hearing that, Will looked a little wary and cross. “You’re just saying that because you think that my date with him is going to suck like every other date I’ve had so far.”

If Hannibal felt inclined to tell the truth, he‘d admit that he was more worried that it would succeed rather than fail, but Hannibal decided against that particular course of action. “I’m not asking you out of pity. You should know by now that the only person I am capable of feeling sorry for is myself. I’m asking because I’ve missed you terribly.” Hannibal reached out and brushed Will’s cheek with his thumb. “A friend of mine is having a masked ball in a few weeks and there will be dancing . . .”

***  
“You’re dating Will?’ said Alana to Hannibal. She and Beverly had come over for lunch.

“Yes,” said Hannibal. He had invited them to lunch to make the announcement and assure them that Will would no longer needed their assistance. His smile faltered when he noticed that Alana and Beverly were giving each other looks that didn't shine with approval of his announcement. “You both seem surprised.”

“I was kind of hoping that he’d date that guy from dance class,” said Beverly.

“I remember that guy,” said Alana. "He's impossibly ripped." 

Hannibal was about to say something rude when he felt Will’s arms wrap around his waist from behind and a kiss on his cheek. "Sorry, I'm late." 

"Better late than never."

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Of course, this has to be an AU because otherwise there would be quite a few dead people though admittedly an ending where Hannibal blames "blue balls" as an excuse for multiple murders would've been funny. 
> 
> Yes, the Steve Rogers in this ficlet is based on Captain America though in this universe, he really is a teacher. BTW, someone wrote a nice Steve Rogers/Will Graham fic on Archive of Our Own but sadly it's a WIP.


End file.
